Today is Thanksgiving where I live, and I wanted to thank you for all your writing; all the wonderful characters, settings, and stories that you created. My parents grew up reading your books, and so did I. I clearly remember wanting to have my very own pet “Cheburashka” when I was 5, wanting to write a continuation for “Prostokvashino” when I was 8, surprising my parents’ friends with quotes from Matroskin (that I used whenever possible). Most importantly, I would re-read your stories whenever I felt my ability to speak and read in Russian worsening. Today, I still love to read in Russian and to watch Russian films, and your work has contributed to that very much. Overall, I just wanted to thank you for the magical stories that I grew up with and that helped me maintain the language to this day. спасибо вам за все! Nicole Michelle Gonik